Chicago-area drivers have never seen numbers like this before: $3.75 or higher for a gallon of regular unleaded gas, leading to shocking totals such as $57.60, which is what Barry Baran of Lyons paid Wednesday ...
Read more

reading all these comments makes me laugh...i drive an 94 ford ranger that gets about 16 mpg..since its an older truck i dont have full coverage on the insurance..(i save about a grand)mostly its all liability incase i injure someone else...but the people here who pick at the suv drivers are complete s@$% for brains..sometimes its just not feasible for someone to get rid or their current car to go buy a brand new hybrid(insurance rates go HIGHER plus you take a hit on trade in).so even tho i pay more to fill up im not losing too much considering i do not need full coverage because if i smash it who gives a crap im just out then..on the bright side of this since gas is going through the roof crime is my area has gone higher..who knows maybe the people who act all snotty by what they have to say will go out to their new hybrids tomorrow and find all 4 tires slashed..maybe broken into or even stolen...so before you put the blame on the truck and suv drivers shut your mouth..the people responsible for really making the price skyrocket are the jerks that make a living by trading it on the stock market

Here are some basics:Move closer to your jobs! Do you really need to live in the far west suburbs and drive to your job in the loop?I work in the loop but I wold never live in that cesspool. I like having some space, so I ride a train in every day.

It looks like you live in georgia. So what cesspool are you talking about? Atlanta?

The problem that no one is looking at is that the larger SUV's, trucks, and to a lesser extent, large cars, don't have anywhere near the gas mileage of a compact, and those people are the ones who are driving up the cost of gas, since they're pushing demand higher. Basic economics states that as supply falls and demand rises, prices will rise, and that's exactly what we're seeing now.

Not exactly.

Thanks to government-approved mega-mergers in the oil industry, the refinery capacity for producing gasoline has DECLINED in the face of rising demand. BP Amoco and Exxon/Mobil have shut refineries since their mergers, leading to shorter supplies and - no surprise here - much greater profits for the oil companies.

Maybe worldwide demand IS rising, but it is impossible to conceive of demand rising 2-3 percent a week, which is what would have to be happening for prices to shoot up the way they have.

No, gasoline prices are NOT being set by free market forces. The market is being manipulated, and not for the benefit of the average consumer.

I take no small solace from seeing SUV & B(H)ummer drivers (who aren't using them for LEGITIMATE business purposes)'taking it in the tank' for their wasting an expensive & increasingly precious resource! It's now becoming UNPATRIOTIC to drive fuel wasting vehicles just to prove you can afford the gas cost! Better you should just park them and use them as lawn ornaments, or better, recycle them!

Also, everyone should consider turning off their idling engines at railroad crossings and on other occasions if stopped for more than 30 secs. It's a proven fuel saver!Everyone needs to do their part to save on fuel and cut down on global warming in the process! It's the right & Patriotic thing to do now!

it is frustrating that we help liberate a country that has huge oil reserves and still paying billions of dollars to maintain security in that country and at the sametime paying huge prizes for oil. Same deal with Kuwait.When they needed help US was there. Now when they coulkd be helping, they are focussing on hoarding. Same deal with saudi. If US has not crippled Iraq in the 90s, Saudi will be a territory of Saddam's Iraq. Tells how valuable it is helping others

<quoted text>Not exactly.Thanks to government-approved mega-mergers in the oil industry, the refinery capacity for producing gasoline has DECLINED in the face of rising demand. BP Amoco and Exxon/Mobil have shut refineries since their mergers, leading to shorter supplies and - no surprise here - much greater profits for the oil companies.Maybe worldwide demand IS rising, but it is impossible to conceive of demand rising 2-3 percent a week, which is what would have to be happening for prices to shoot up the way they have.No, gasoline prices are NOT being set by free market forces. The market is being manipulated, and not for the benefit of the average consumer.

Yes, the market demand HAS gone up that much. Consider the following:

1. World population doubled between 1968 and 2005. That's a huge increase in demand right there.

2. China and India together have over 2 BILLION people. More than the USA and all of Europe combined. 35 years ago, they were too poor for most people to have cars. This is changing, and their wealth really started to cross the point where people could move up only in the last 5 years or 10 years. There is an enormous demand for oil forming in China and India, putting pressure on the world markets.

3. Oil markets are denominated in US dollars. This is because the dollar has a history of being a stable currency. However, our abuse of credit is changing this. We are over $9 TRILLION in debt and it is rising fast. Just paying the interest on the debt is almost 20% of the federal budget!(And we still want more tax cuts.) On top of this, we've been running growing trade deficits since the 1970's, with them really taking off in the 1990's. In 2004, we broke the all-time record trade deficit. In 2005, we broke the record set in 2004. In 2006, we broke the record set in 2005. In 2007, it dipped slightly, but it is still high. We are over $700 BILLION PER YEAR money literally pouring out of our economy, every year. What does this mean? It has caused the dollar to sink, the value to drop - which makes imports more expensive - and anything denominated in US dollars - such as OIL - more expensive as well. Gas would still be expensive due to increased demand, but not quite as bad if it were not for our financial recklessness in other areas that is causing the dollar to fall.

<quoted text>Where do you think the money comes from to build and maintain all the roads in your suburbs? TAXES!We invest in one or we invest in the other. Take your pick. But cars leave us more dependent on oil and more subject to traffic problems.

Right, our current tax level is barely paying for suitable roads. Now, we would have to increase taxes even more to pay for a public transportation system, and the taxes paying for roads would still have to be paid. Any current politician raises my taxes futher loses my vote. There are many that feel that way. For a majority of my adult life, I could see progress as I continued to work hard. These days, it's just trying to stay afloat. The Strogers, Blagos and other Illinois politicians need to do what the average person does. Cut your budget, even if it hurts. Start with reducing the Illinois and County portions of Gasoline tax.

We need to keep our jobs in America. We need to only buy American products. We need to stop sending our American dollars to other countries because they need to be built or re-built.We as Americans need to stop making these other countries rich. We need to start raising the prices of what we have and what they want!!

I agree , in theory. Being that corporate America has outsourced most of our manufacturing capability, what is it you propose we buy? American assembled cars are made of foreign parts. Almost no electronics are assembled, let alone built in the US. For purpose of this rant, built means all parts would also have to be made here. I am all for buying American. I just can't find a whole lot built here to buy. We have to build it affordable for poorer people ,also.

<quoted text>Right, our current tax level is barely paying for suitable roads. Now, we would have to increase taxes even more to pay for a public transportation system, and the taxes paying for roads would still have to be paid. Any current politician raises my taxes futher loses my vote. There are many that feel that way. For a majority of my adult life, I could see progress as I continued to work hard. These days, it's just trying to stay afloat. The Strogers, Blagos and other Illinois politicians need to do what the average person does. Cut your budget, even if it hurts. Start with reducing the Illinois and County portions of Gasoline tax.

That's not what I meant. If we built the right public transit grid in the FIRST place, if metro areas were not so spread out haphazardly and sprawling, there would be less need for cars (and for roads) in the first place!

The need for transportation is a definite thing. It will increase too, as the population increases. No doubt about that. And, it will take SOME tax dollars to build it. No question there, although the exact amount needed is debateable, and to a certain extent, controllable. But, it does not have to be ALL roads and zero public transit! That kind of thinking is what got us into this mess in the first place!

America pre-1960 used to have excellent public transit - good rail service across the country, good bus service and light rail (street cars) in many cities. Taxes were - generally speaking - lower then, too. It CAN be done. It was a CHOICE to switch out of that grid, shut down transit lines, and go to almost all cars, everywhere, except in major cites - and it is proving to be a foolish choice.

Right now the Illinois legislature is considering a capital bill that will set transportation investment levels for many years. But Blagojevich's proposal severely underfunds public transit. The previous capital bill spent twice as much on roads as transit - Blagojevich wants five times as much for roads.

Deepening our dependence on cars and oil is insane. The longterm trend in oil prices is a constant increase, and the threat of global warming is steadily growing while we do nothing. We need to build an outstanding public transit system now, or we'll regret it very soon. Call your representatives and ask for much higher levels of transit funding.

Tell me when this thread is updated:

Add your comments below

Please note by submitting this form you acknowledge that you have read the Terms of Service and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Be polite.
Inappropriate posts may be removed by the moderator. Send us your feedback.